Quitting and COPD

[SandyV]

If anyone has been diagnosed with COPD and has already quit,  can you tell me how long it took to notice a difference in breathing and oxygen levels?

thanks

Sandy

[Thomas3.20.2010]

The degree of recovery is based on what kind of COPD you have. Saying I have COPD is like saying I have Cancer. What kind? Do you have more bronchitis than emphasema? Do you have asthma? 

What we know for certain is that no matter what type of COPD you have, Smoking Cessation is the only treatment known to slow the progression of the disease. The only one! 

We also have the advantage of knowing literally with every breath we take why we are quitting! COPD is the illnees that keeps on taking, and taking, and taking ...Seek

Treatment

Over 

Progression! 

STOP

[MarilynH]

It's wonderful to see you Thomas here's a humongous caring hug from me to you. Thomas3.20.2010

[elvan]

I have COPD, I quit smoking over 4 1/2 years ago and I had both upper lobes of my lungs surgically removed a year and ten months after I quit smoking.  It helped SOME but it is not a cure, there is no cure.  The only thing you can do is to take care of yourself, QUIT SMOKING, eat right, exercise, and know that you are always going to be at risk of developing symptoms.  I could not take Symbicort and my doc discontinued Spiriva, I don't remember why.  I am currently on Advair and Incruse inhalers with an albuterol rescue inhaler and a nebulizer.  Right now, I am having some issues....I can't keep my oxygen level up, saw Nurse Practitioner in PCP's office and she thought it was early flu...put me on an antibiotic just in case of a secondary infection...no improvement, added another antibiotic and I am still struggling.  I will call my pulmonologist tomorrow and hope I can get in.  My oxygen saturations yesterday were in the 70's and 80's most of the day and I was working.  I had to leave early because I was dizzy and had a headache.  I came home and used the nebulizer and put on my nighttime oxygen and fell asleep.  I have slept most of today.  I have emphysema...I smoked for 47 years and despite quitting and exercising regularly and eating well...I suspect that I would not be alive now had I not quit smoking and Thomas3.20.2010‌ taught me more about COPD than I learned after working for over 25 years as an RN.  I had quit before I really got into this site but I don't know if I could have maintained my quit without these people...they really ARE lifesavers.

Welcome to EX,

Ellen